Hill Top Tots Day Nursery Limited
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Dronfield for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023. Open since 1996, with 60 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Derbyshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derbyshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
S18 1UWWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 19 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are warmly welcomed into the nursery by friendly and approachable staff.
Staff take time to work with parents and the children's key person from their previous rooms to find out as much as they can to help children to settle into new nursery rooms. They prepare the nursery rooms for the day with care and attention so that all the children attending can access the curriculum at the appropriate level for them. Children adapt well to new routines, and those who need extra support and help are comforted by their key person. Staff explain daily routines and expectations for behaviour in clear and appropriate ways. They talk to babies and toddlers about what is happening now and what will happen next. Pre-school children know that when a bell gently rings, they stop to listen to what staff want them to do next.
Staff help children to think about how to take care of themselves and others. They show children how to use play equipment safely and allow children to try things out for themselves. Outdoors, older children navigate stepping stones and play games with bats and balls, taking care not to hurt themselves or others as they do so.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- address children using terms that are not casual and are more suited to supporting children's transition to school n review how music is used in the baby room to make it a meaningful experience that does not have a negative impact on babies' ability to hear sounds and words staff use.
- 19 September 2023Good
- 6 April 2023Inadequate
- 26 July 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hill Top Tots Day Nursery Limited
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.